MMAhttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/mma
en-usTue, 31 Mar 2015 18:56:11 -0400Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:56:11 -0400The latest news on MMA from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/brock-lesnar-wwe-contract-mma-ufc-wrestling-2015-3Brock Lesnar extends contract with WWE—won't return to MMAhttp://www.businessinsider.com/brock-lesnar-wwe-contract-mma-ufc-wrestling-2015-3
Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:50:24 -0400Graham Flanagan
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5512c62769beddf15c55b7ea-1200-924/wwe-4-2.jpg" border="0" alt="WWE 4"></p><p><br><br>Reigning WWE Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar just ended any speculation that he might be leaving the company after his main event match at Wrestlemania this Sunday. <br><br>In an <a href="http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/12553309/former-ufc-champ-brock-lesnar-signs-wwe-closes-door-mma-career" target="_blank">interview</a> on ESPN, Lesnar said that he extended his contract with WWE and that he would not return to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. <br><br>"I'm officially closing the door on MMA," Lesnar said. <br><br>The announcement resulted in a flurry of high-profile responses from the world of professional wrestling on Twitter.<br><br></p>
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"Brock re-signs with <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE">@WWE</a>." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongratsToUs?src=hash">#CongratsToUs</a> <a href="http://t.co/nltmx4UCsp">pic.twitter.com/nltmx4UCsp</a> </p>— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/580512657020719106">March 24, 2015</a>
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Happy to hear Brock Lesnar has signed a deal w <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE">@WWE</a>. Terrorizing the federation for a few more years. Give em hell, champ. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WM31?src=hash">#WM31</a> </p>— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/580521198355890177">March 25, 2015</a>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/BrockLesnar">@BrockLesnar</a> is a global attraction. Happy to have him re-sign a multi-year contract with <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE">@WWE</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/espn">@espn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleDBeadle">@MichelleDBeadle</a> </p>— Triple H (@TripleH) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/580501834005131264">March 24, 2015</a>
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<p class="embed-spacer">Lesnar previously reigned as Heavyweight Champion in UFC before leaving MMA due to being diagnosed with diverticulitis. He returned to WWE and made big news at Wrestlemania XXX in 2014 by snapping the Undertaker's undefeated streak of 21 consecutive wins in at the popular event. <br><br>Lesnar is scheduled to defend his title at Wrestlemania this Sunday against challenger Roman Reigns at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.<br><br>Watch Lesnar's interview on ESPN:<br><br></p>
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<p><br><br><br></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brock-lesnar-wwe-contract-mma-ufc-wrestling-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-insider-terms-lingo-vince-mcmahon-chris-jericho-2015-2">This video will change the way you watch the WWE</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mixed-martial-arts-is-becoming-popular-in-rural-china-and-ufc-is-looking-to-capitalize-2014-8Mixed Martial Arts Is Becoming Popular In Rural China And UFC Is Looking to Capitalizehttp://www.businessinsider.com/mixed-martial-arts-is-becoming-popular-in-rural-china-and-ufc-is-looking-to-capitalize-2014-8
Fri, 22 Aug 2014 06:26:01 -0400Tom Hancock
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/53f719e8ecad047a35db5836-768-521/mma1.jpeg" border="0" alt="mma1"></p><p>As he pinned his opponent down and punched him repeatedly in the head, Yao "The Master" Honggang was –- like other emerging Chinese mixed martial arts fighters -– beating his way out of rural poverty.</p>
<p>Yao was once a national wrestling champion, but switched to the uncompromising discipline of mixed martial arts (MMA) a decade ago, when it was barely known in China.</p>
<p>It combines grappling with kickboxing and ju-jitsu in a combat where almost anything goes.</p>
<p>"My ideal is to get a knockout," said Yao, 33, who has a short, muscle-ripped frame and cauliflower ears.</p>
<p>For his latest contest, he returned to his home province of Henan and a sports centre in Zhoukou, just a few miles from the quiet plot of land where his parents still make a living growing corn.</p>
<p>A spotlight picked out local businessmen and government officials -- plus a consignment of shield-clutching riot police -- in the audience of thousands, and Yao sprinted towards the ring through clouds of smoke and past bikini-clad cheerleaders.</p>
<p>Within seconds of the referee's opening cry of "Fight!" the crowd erupted as he knocked his opponent Jadambaa Munkhbayar to the floor. But the Mongolian slid from beneath Yao's legs and leapt back to his feet, swinging wildly.</p>
<h3>A billion customers?</h3>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53f719e8ecad04843adb5834-768-511/mma3.jpeg" border="0" alt="mma3"></p>
<p>Yao's long journey to MMA stardom saw him endure years of struggle and deprivation as he trained in obscurity with a Filipino coach in Beijing.</p>
<p>To keep his dream aloft, he worked as a restaurant night-watchman and an air conditioning repairman, hanging off skyscrapers to fix leaky units.</p>
<p>"Both my parents worked in the fields, my dad also worked as a PE teacher but his salary was low. So I had to depend on myself," he said.</p>
<p>Now he competes for prizes of up to $10,000 and fights in the United States and Hong Kong, while the sport's promoters are competing to cash in on what is a potentially huge Chinese market.</p>
<p>The gym where Yao trains has already sent several fighters to the US-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), whose annual revenues reach into hundreds of millions of dollars.</p>
<p>"The UFC is like every other sports league in the world -- they see enormous financial possibility in China," said Jonathan Snowden, author of an encyclopedia of the sport.</p>
<p>"What they see are more than a billion possible customers. That's very alluring."</p>
<p>The UFC partnered with a Chinese TV channel last year, but life for the dozens of aspiring MMA champions fighting regular bouts around the country remains far from glamorous. Members of one Beijing gym sleep on bunk beds in tiny dormitories, squeezed into unheated slum houses.</p>
<p>"Nearly all of us MMA fighters are farmers," said bearded He Nannan, 22, gulping down cabbage soup. "People from cities have money and don't want to fight."</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53f719e8eab8eade53b99331-768-513/mma2.jpeg" border="0" alt="mma2">Wu Haotian is one of China's top MMA athletes and has defeated opponents as far away as South Africa, but went unrecognized as he walked home through dilapidated streets, sweating from three hours of afternoon training.</p>
<p>While he was growing up in a village in Inner Mongolia, he said, "when it rained and we couldn't work outside, we would gather for wrestling matches, that's how I started fighting".</p>
<p>"I thought MMA was great, because there are almost no restrictions."</p>
<p>His favourite move is a downward elbow strike, but pointed to his forehead to explain a recent defeat. "I was injured here. It bled a lot and I fainted after the third round."</p>
<p>The prizes he competes for are worth up to 30,000 yuan ($5,000), with around a fifth taken by his club.</p>
<p>Even so, he said, "We don't have enough money to live in apartments. We're poor."</p>
<h3>Eye of the Tiger<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53f719e869beddbb616da16d-768-504/mma4.jpeg" border="0" alt="mma4"></h3>
<p>The future of contenders like Wu and He will be decided by the spending habits of Chinese audiences, who pay to see fights and watch TV broadcasts.</p>
<p>Yuan Kaifu, a businessman who had traveled from Beijing to Zhoukou said: "I like MMA because it's real. Not fake like some other fighting contests."</p>
<p>Backstage, battlers from Australia, central Africa and Russia covered themselves in muscle-heating oil and sparred as a German coach played the "Rocky" theme song "Eye of the Tiger" from a mobile phone.</p>
<p>Yao looked relaxed as he secured his gloves with tape and sipped a protein drink.</p>
<p>"I don't get nervous in the ring, I'm aware of everything that is happening," he said.</p>
<p>After the initial grapple he dodged his opponent's right-handed punch, hoisted him up and brought him crashing to the ground.</p>
<p>Stuck in a choke-hold, Munkhbayar's white and gold glove tapped the ground three times, and a bell marked Yao's victory -- after a contest of just 53 seconds.</p>
<p>Balanced on the ring's white ropes, the winner drank in the adoration of the crowd, flashing a smile which revealed a gum-shield in patriotic red.</p>
<p>"Next time, I'll try and win more slowly," he said.</p>
<p>"If I didn't have MMA, I'd probably be doing some small business, construction or working as a cook," he added. "Or installing air conditioners."</p>
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<p>Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved.</p>
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<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT0wNjM5OGQ2NWVlMWI1MTZmOGE3YjI5YWM1MjExZjY3ZCZub25jZT1kOGQ5MzVhZS1kMDY0LTQ2ZGYtOGUyZC1kODNkNTJiMGZlZWQmcHVibGlzaGVyPTczMGViODZhYjU5ZjBkNDE5MjZhYzY1YjAxZjgzZTJm" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mixed-martial-arts-is-becoming-popular-in-rural-china-and-ufc-is-looking-to-capitalize-2014-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/full-contact-skydiving-2014-6Full Contact Skydiving Combines MMA With Jumping Out Of A Planehttp://www.businessinsider.com/full-contact-skydiving-2014-6
Tue, 17 Jun 2014 14:51:00 -0400CHRIS YUSCAVAGE
<p>Jumping out of a plane is crazy. So is taking part in an MMA match. But do you know what&rsquo;s <em>really </em>crazy? Doing both of those things &hellip; at the same damn time.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53a08931ecad04dd07de7f9b/mma skydiving small.gif" border="0" alt="mma skydiving small" /></p>
<p>Impossible? Nah, son. Say hello to Full Contact Skydiving, which is being billed as &ldquo;the most exciting sport on earth in the sky.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It combines elements of &ldquo;Norwegian Jiu-Jitsu&rdquo; and &ldquo;Skuay Thai&rdquo; to provide those who do it with a full body workout that has physical and mental benefits.</p>
<p>And right now, there are small groups of people all over the world who are taking part in Full Contact Skydiving.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s being called &ldquo;the fastest growing aerial contact sport in the world&rdquo; (maybe because it&rsquo;s the <em>only</em> one?), and it&rsquo;s catching on so quickly that MMA fighter Urijah Faber just got involved with the sport as a coach.</p>
<p>If you want to see what the sport is all about, check out the clip below. Super crazy, right?</p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PadCPWsPKRQ"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/full-contact-skydiving-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mma-fighter-gopro-2014-6Intense GoPro Footage Shows What It's Like To Get Hit By An MMA Fighterhttp://www.businessinsider.com/mma-fighter-gopro-2014-6
Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:08:00 -0400Sam Rega
<p>We wanted to feel what it was like to get punched in the face and thrown to the ground, so we went to <a href="http://www.roninathletics.com" target="_blank">Ronin Athletics</a>.&nbsp;Owner&nbsp;Christian Montes put on the gloves and hit the mat with us.</p>
<p>At Ronin Athletics, students learn the combat sports that make up Mixed Martial Arts including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, boxing and Muay Thai. Check them out on <a href="https://twitter.com/RoninAthletics" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/RoninAthletics" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/sam-rega" target="_blank">Sam Rega</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/BI_Video">On Twitter</a><em><br></em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cheaper-gym-membership-2014-5" >Your Gym Is Ripping You Off — Here's How To Get A Cheaper Membership</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitter.com/BI_Video" >On Twitter</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mma-fighter-gopro-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/dana-white-says-ronda-rousey-would-easily-beat-floyd-mayweather-2014-4UFC President Dana White Says Ronda Rousey Would Easily Beat Floyd Mayweather In A Fighthttp://www.businessinsider.com/dana-white-says-ronda-rousey-would-easily-beat-floyd-mayweather-2014-4
Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:59:00 -0400Tony Olivero
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/535a8db769bedda224505e1f-1200-900/ronda-rousey-dana-white-2.jpg" border="0" alt="ronda rousey dana white" /></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In an interview on ESPN's Highly Questionable show, UFC President Dana White was asked whether or not he agreed with the notion that 5-foot-7 135 pound Ronda Rousey could beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a Mixed Martial Arts bout.</span></p>
<p>Rousey is the dominant UFC women's Bantamweight champion, having won eight of her nine bouts. Mayweather Jr. of course is one of the best boxers of all-time, as he's compiled an undefeated 45-0 record with his 5-foot-8 frame.</p>
<p>When asked the question White didn't flinch and responded:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"She would definitely beat him. She'd beat him and she'd hurt him bad."</p>
<p>The full interview:</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sDJ-_NJLBmI"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.terezowens.com/dana-white-ronda-rousey-would-hurt-floyd-mayweather/">(h/t: Terez Owens)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dana-white-says-ronda-rousey-would-easily-beat-floyd-mayweather-2014-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-about-ronda-rousey-2013-1215 Things You Need To Know About Ronda Rouseyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-about-ronda-rousey-2013-12
Sat, 28 Dec 2013 13:05:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52bddb6eecad04612d20450a-480-/ronda-rousey-espn-body-issue-2.jpg" border="0" alt="ronda rousey espn body issue" width="480" /></p><p>A year ago, women's UFC didn't exist.</p>
<p>Now there are 17 female UFC fighters, and the women's bantamweight title fight is one of the signature events of UFC 168.</p>
<p>Ronda Rousey is a big reason for the sudden rise of the sport.</p>
<p>She defends her title against Miesha Tate in UFC 168 on Saturday in Las Vegas.</p>
<p>With her trash-talking personality, good looks, incredible backstory, and unmatched skill in the ring, she has almost single-handedly paved the way for women in UFC.</p><h3>In 2008, she went to the Olympics in Beijing and won a bronze medal in judo.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52bdd50deab8ea2c78ce32f4-400-300/in-2008-she-went-to-the-olympics-in-beijing-and-won-a-bronze-medal-in-judo.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>But afterward, she had no job to fall back on: "There’s nothing put in place for Olympians after they're done. They give you a couple grand, a handshake and they kick your ass out the door."</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e49ecad042071000013-400-300/but-afterward-she-had-no-job-to-fall-back-on-theres-nothing-put-in-place-for-olympians-after-theyre-done-they-give-you-a-couple-grand-a-handshake-and-they-kick-your-ass-out-the-door.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://clutch.mtv.com/2012/03/01/strikeforce-ronda-rousey-interview/">MTV</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>She took a graveyard shift at a 24 Hour Fitness in California while trying to figure out what she wanted to do.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52bdd2fdecad04ff1820450a-400-300/she-took-a-graveyard-shift-at-a-24-hour-fitness-in-california-while-trying-to-figure-out-what-she-wanted-to-do.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=news.detail&amp;gid=388678">MixedMartialArts.com</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-about-ronda-rousey-2013-12#in-2010-she-returned-to-fighting-at-an-mma-gym-in-los-angeles-she-said-i-need-to-win-and-i-need-to-do-this-quick-because-im-tired-of-living-with-the-cockroaches-and-eating-frozen-vegetables-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-secret-world-of-underground-mma-fight-clubs-2013-11What It's Like To Be A Member Of NYC's Secretive 'Fight Club'http://www.businessinsider.com/the-secret-world-of-underground-mma-fight-clubs-2013-11
Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:42:00 -0500Dina Abdel-Haq
<p data-content_id="text:e870706b02af4f8abcb55125cab9a84b"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/529cdc616da8115167851f30-480-/mma-fighting-kickboxing-nyc.jpg" border="0" alt="mma fighting kickboxing nyc" width="480" /></p><p>On the rooftop of a seventeen-story building in the middle of a public housing complex in the Bronx, two fighters were battling it out.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:e870706b02af4f8abcb55125cab9a84b">The roof has no railings, so anyone could easily have fallen off. Wearing only shorts and mixed martial arts gloves, they punched, grappled and kicked each other until one of them was beaten into submission and fell to the floor unconscious.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:d38e222982134949ba858621ae57c63f">&ldquo;That was the first rooftop fight I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; said William H. Cavalli, an underground fighter, as he recounted the illegal bout that took place on a windy, wet day last February.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:7d446b52493c4d458e50defb644fab76">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like heights. It was kind of creepy. I wouldn&rsquo;t fight on a roof.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:19d88cd8098f4d24b1464aae13c98016">With only fifteen people watching, the fight ended after a quarter of an hour, when one of the fighters went down hard, his head thudding into the building&rsquo;s roof. &ldquo;Mind you,&rdquo; said Cavalli, &ldquo;there was no mat.&rdquo; The fight had to be stopped.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:86eaea03a1d04603a62d8c806b24c36e">As Cavalli described the story later in a coffee shop in Brooklyn, he seemed in awe of the fighters. &ldquo;Dude, there was no fear on that roof. They did the pre-fight protocol, warm up, and then they just went in there and fought.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:86eaea03a1d04603a62d8c806b24c36e"><strong>[RELATED:&nbsp;<a href="http://narrative.ly/wanderers/strange-life-teenage-pageant-host/">The Strange Life of a Teenage Pageant Host</a>]</strong></p>
<p data-content_id="text:cdeb992f18dd4a388cecc34fc2bbfdbb">At twenty-three, Cavalli&rsquo;s ambition is to one day compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world&rsquo;s largest mixed martial arts promotion company, which is banned in New York State.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/528cef5a6bb3f75c6c969d28-897-672/mma-fighting-kickboxing-gym.jpg" border="0" alt="MMA fighting kickboxing gym" width="480" /></p>
<p data-content_id="text:31b05c3ac3a14c6badae8fb08e79e788">Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that uses a combination of different styles of fighting such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling and kickboxing. Each fighter trains and develops his or her own fighting technique in several of the above disciplines, allowing them to become fully-rounded fighters.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:31b05c3ac3a14c6badae8fb08e79e788">Most alarming to many spectators, in MMA, as opposed to in boxing or most other contact sports, a fighter is allowed to strike his opponent when he is already on the ground and continue to pound him.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:9407bacd76e3498fad1e02cb2b4ae365">In 1997, the State of New York enacted a law making clear that it would not issue a license for &ldquo;professional combative sporting events,&rdquo; which is how it described MMA fighting. However, MMA was never actually made illegal; there is a technical distinction between legal and sanctioned. Elsewhere, professional fights are usually sanctioned by the state and must be organized by an athletic commission, which provides referees, rules and insurance. It also administers blood tests to the fighters weeks before a fight.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:9407bacd76e3498fad1e02cb2b4ae365">Since MMA is not licensed in New York, all fights that take place here are considered amateur, and thus are unregulated, because the state of New York tries not to interfere with amateur combative sports. Jim Genia, a NYC-based journalist and author who has been covering the fighting industry in New York for more than a decade, says, &ldquo;Regulating amateur stuff is expensive for the state. There are far more amateur competitions than pro (in every sport), and that would require a huge budget and staff that the state just doesn&rsquo;t have.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img class="float_left" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/528cf0dfeab8ea4a57969d2e-640-960/cavalli-practicing-sword.jpg" border="0" alt="Cavalli practicing sword" width="480" /></p>
<p data-content_id="text:d825f82d03bb42a596950c0cc2a41765">The Ultimate Fighting Championship has now spent several years lobbying the New York State Legislature to overturn its 1997 ban on professional MMA. In November of 2011, the UFC sued the state of New York in Federal court in Manhattan, arguing that the State was unjust in banning some professional fighting sports and not others.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:d825f82d03bb42a596950c0cc2a41765">&ldquo;If some professional combative sports can be sanctioned by the World Kickboxing Association then why not all of them?&rdquo; asks Barry Friedman, the lawyer who is representing the UFC in the court case, which has so far not succeeded in overturning the ban.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:3374389aa282461898e013dc4a8a7f52">In 2003, a fighter named Peter Storm took advantage of the loophole in the law that banned professional MMA leagues but left amateur ones untouched. At twenty-five, Storm created the amateur&nbsp;<a href="http://mma.us/tag/underground-combat-league/" target="_blank">Underground Combat League</a>&nbsp;(UCL). Even though the UCL is perfectly legal, it is not sanctioned by anyone.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:3374389aa282461898e013dc4a8a7f52">&ldquo;The refs aren&rsquo;t trained, the fighters aren&rsquo;t insured, the rules aren&rsquo;t set in stone &mdash; there are no medical personnel there,&rdquo; says Genia.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:32bfb7bc38ab4900a6fcb4c0a914ec9d">Now ten years old, the UCL has created an avenue for fighters to compete, including Storm himself. Cavalli was introduced to Storm by a fighter he faced at a tournament in Queens. Storm was impressed by Cavalli&rsquo;s skills and asked him to fight for his league. Storm calls him &ldquo;a real fighter,&rdquo; and one with an interesting style, rooted in Chinese martial arts. Cavalli competed in the most recent UCL fight, held on April 28 in a secret location. He won his fight.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:be94166655494322be83f9dced999ef4">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p data-content_id="text:11981be9c9fb4a30b7f4f4deb45a0acc">On a chilly Monday evening in early February, I met Cavalli for the first time at a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street in Chinatown. A Brooklyn-born African-American with a lean physique and a quiet swagger, he wears only black. Cavalli is not his real name, but one he adopted while delivering parcels for Urban Express. The Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli caught his eye.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:bc9ca0cd7c084014a7d484a45b2d6c80"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/528cf0796bb3f7cd6e969d28-640-704/william-cavalli.jpg" border="0" alt="William Cavalli" width="480" />&ldquo;I thought it was cool,&rdquo; he says, laughing. The first name and middle initial that he goes by, William H., is inspired by Bill Gates, via&nbsp;<a href="http://rapgenius.com/Jay-z-a-billi-lyrics" target="_blank">a Jay-Z song</a>&nbsp;in which the rapper does the same.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:0c3c0fd6b8e84c528a31aa9a5eaf7a94">That night, Cavalli wore a long black trench coat, and ordered bubble tea and fried chicken as he tried to explain the appeal of violent sport.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:32d0a2ae64894d0e979bbe0787132766">His love for fighting started in public school in Brooklyn when he was five, and was constantly picked on by older kids. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t keep running,&rdquo; says Cavalli. &ldquo;I had to learn how to fight.&rdquo; One day he grabbed a boy by his shirt &mdash; &ldquo;I kicked this kid and hit his head on the gate.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:8a622a0affae489792675dc324dfb0af">In high school Cavalli learned kickboxing and trained with a teacher who kept beating him up. &ldquo;I just kept coming back,&rdquo; he says. During his adolescence, he joined the notorious Crips gang. Members of the gang, including Cavalli, burned the letter &ldquo;G&rdquo; on their arms by constantly rubbing an eraser against their skin until layers of it fell off.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:ddb7e3384a0f42b79ae64a5059952667">Fed up, his mother sent him away to a boarding school in Massachusetts to learn discipline and earn his GED, which he never got, although the change did get him out of trouble. He focused his energy and passion on Kung Fu, and began competing in MMA events in New York held by Manup Standup, an amateur, unsanctioned MMA league. I asked Cavalli what his mother thought of his fighting. &ldquo;As long as I&rsquo;m not selling drugs, she&rsquo;s happy,&rdquo; he says, adding, &ldquo;My grandmother hates it. She doesn&rsquo;t like to see me get hit.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:fedf51cf58ff4e1aac80d4da2f876002">Unlike professional MMA, where health risks are taken into account and blood tests are administered to all fighters before a fight, UCL fighters go into the ring and risk being infected by diseases if they get cut and bleed during a fight. When I brought this to Cavalli&rsquo;s attention, he seemed stunned. &ldquo;I never really thought about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just go in there to fight.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:fedf51cf58ff4e1aac80d4da2f876002"><strong>[RELATED:&nbsp;<a href="http://narrative.ly/wanderers/free-to-fly/">How a Free Airline Pass Changed This Guy's Life</a>]</strong></p>
<p data-content_id="text:f1b9463ea7b2485a81b2e768f82e8eb2">The lack of payment or health screening is not of much concern to Cavalli and the other amateur fighters of the UCL. They are proving themselves in the ring, which is all they are after, and that&rsquo;s enough to incite a highly competitive atmosphere.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:1c8205fd3b0448a0aa48ec604dc21aaa">&ldquo;Imagine a meth lab,&rdquo; says Cavalli, describing what the underground fights are like. &ldquo;Very gritty, nasty, not pretty, very electric. Bunch of testosterone.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:a9726cb021c640f596a403fe3c03d208">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p data-content_id="text:070e9960c62d410e826fede2d9fa6e7b">Cavalli&rsquo;s training gym is located in a residential building at the end of an alleyway in Bushwick. When I visit, it&rsquo;s filled with a stench that seems to come from a turtle tank nestled on top of a dirty grey shelf. &ldquo;This is my home away from home,&rdquo; says Cavalli.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:c956cded3fb645e08af847e895da20a6"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/528cf13ceab8eaa854969d2f-640-426/cavalli-gym.jpg" border="0" alt="Cavalli gym" width="800" />He lights incense sticks and puts on some &rsquo;90s rap music: Biggie, Tupac and Jay-Z. Without stopping to digest the chicken fingers he&rsquo;s eating, he puts on his ankle weights and gloves. Then he straps on a gas mask, which helps him build stamina because it makes it harder to breathe. He starts doing lunges and pushups, followed by kicks and jabs to the punching bag as he twirls around and spins moves in the air. He seems to be struggling as he gasps for air under his&nbsp;mask.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:01b5e5c9f3bf4891b5e3997ad1bdc05c">Cavalli&rsquo;s Kung Fu moves are inspired by Bruce Lee, but his favorite movie is&nbsp;Beauty and the Beast. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t do things conventionally,&rdquo; he says,&nbsp;stopping to munch on his food between lunges. &ldquo;Everything I do is outta left field.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:fdc370b4f6fc4bcd951f91449fd3eec0">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p data-content_id="text:e6db0387129941d190130d3c17ce649a">A few weeks later, Cavalli was set to fight Desmond Nelson in an April bout. Nelson had beaten Cavalli at previous UCL event in November, and Cavalli was looking forward to the rematch. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s personal,&rdquo; he said, promising to &ldquo;do some damage.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:09b6cada55264bd2984e61f8ca68a386">&ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m going to hurt that kid,&rdquo; he vowed.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:aef69f9fe931497bb9cb37cff7e72b25">A twenty-one-year-old, soft-spoken African-American from Harlem, Nelson developed a passion for MMA by watching it on TV at the age of sixteen. Nelson has never met his father, is not close to his mother, and was raised by his grandmother, who, at eighty, watches the UFC with him on TV. While entirely self-taught, he is well versed in all styles of MMA fighting, including kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Since debuting with the UCL in July of 2012, he has already participated in five fights, which is quite an achievement.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:0e313aaae90848bb8584fdb07be5aa1e">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have a gym, none of that. I go to a teen center in the Bronx, on 149th Street where I have this guy who helps train me,&rdquo; says Nelson. He originally met Peter Storm while attending a fight in which his cousin was taking part.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:cdee1bc2bd3b4a138c32e3d45b7bcf11">&ldquo;A lot of people have opinions about him and his league,&rdquo; Nelson says of Storm. &ldquo;But he still gives us the opportunity to fight and to test ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:3c9e8e41a0a04393a386835cf6561bcc">&ldquo;For me, I think if you&rsquo;re fighting in the UCL, you&rsquo;re passionate because you don&rsquo;t get paid,&rdquo; he continues. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not really easy. You work with what you have when things are scarce.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:3c9e8e41a0a04393a386835cf6561bcc"><strong>[RELATED:&nbsp;<a href="http://narrative.ly/do-gooders/kickstarting-a-cure/">How a 'Kickstarter' for Rare Genetic Diseases is Saving Lives</a>]</strong></p>
<p data-content_id="text:ba5ad421f4ba46ceb1719b97d8c2c333">While he enjoys the underground culture of the league, he also notes that its lack of testing allows people who take steroids to participate, knowing there is no way to get caught. &ldquo;The people in New Jersey who test positive for steroids, all they have to do is come across the water and fight for the UCL,&rdquo; says Nelson.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:02f9f7de8d174f9a9a2e120f83a79340">Like Cavalli, Nelson has only recently thought about the health risks involved in underground fighting. &ldquo;I just thought about it a month and a half ago. I thought, &lsquo;Holy shit, it&rsquo;s a big risk,&rsquo;&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;If I&rsquo;m fighting someone that might have something like hepatitis, that&rsquo;s a big fear. But without the UCL, I wouldn&rsquo;t get this exposure. It&rsquo;s not like I have a gym or team to go to.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:473ba625a6674161866f1ae3951d9f05">Also like Cavalli, Nelson&rsquo;s dream is to be in the UFC one day. &ldquo;Every fighter&rsquo;s dream is to be a champion,&rdquo; he says.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:b79235f787dd4a5fbdb04f4a51525eb8">Cavalli dominated all three rounds of their fight. &ldquo;I remember getting hit once,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I knocked him down more than once. I set the pace of the fight and I took control.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:c2a6185aad2c4f7ba4a735cdf250e063"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/528cf1b66bb3f7bd6e969d29-1136-852/cavalli-jumping-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Cavalli jumping" width="800" />&ldquo;I showed more effort this time. I actually took advantage of every opportunity I had to hurt him. It felt good.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:4432870231ad461597212e1ccfea80aa">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p data-content_id="text:26c4867a93cf403ebeefa220f3842f25">One morning in mid-March, Cavalli went to watch the &ldquo;Kings of New York&rdquo; show at&nbsp;the Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th Street. It was the first large-scale amateur MMA show in NYC in about ten years, coming after the State admitted in court that&nbsp;MMA is not actually illegal, as long as it&rsquo;s amateur. A crowd of diehard MMA fans waited in line, battling the blistering cold.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:712a21b1e1ff422281ef85054c3cc5d4">Cavalli was approached by one of the promoters to see if he was willing to replace a fighter who dropped out at the last minute, but he replied that the weight class was too high for him and that he was not prepared. &ldquo;I feel rushed,&rdquo; Cavalli said.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:712a21b1e1ff422281ef85054c3cc5d4"><strong>[RELATED:&nbsp;<a href="http://narrative.ly/party-animals/undressing-burlesque/">Getting Intimate With the Booming, and Busty, Business of Burlesque</a>]</strong></p>
<p data-content_id="text:d8fbc8826ceb4bb68b2d57ad90fa8574">After two hours, people began filling up the venue, and a singer made her way to the cage to recite the national anthem. The crowd rose to its feet. Soon after, the presenter announced the first fight of the night. A fighter, covered in tattoos, came out with his corner men and the half-naked ring girls. He made his way down to the cage while the DJ played his trademark song, and his opponent followed right after.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:4e796eb7d4da437190675c9b4480a786">The fighters were prepped by their corner men, who rubbed Vaseline on their faces to minimize tearing. Almost immediately, one of the fighters put his opponent in a headlock and beat him into submission. The crowd screamed, &ldquo;Finish him! Finish him!&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:4070a50082994be0adc2ae408b9c4e75">Cavalli stood up, screaming and punching the air, so excited that he could not contain himself. One fighter&rsquo;s eye bled, blood dripping down to his mouth. People were out of their seats, huddled around the cage, drinks in their hands, screaming.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:074ff6685be7425a8fe9797f4261a62a">During one of the fights later in the night, one competitor surrendered. His corner men ordered&nbsp;him to continue to fight, but he kept saying, &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t.&rdquo; He was clearly exhausted and could no longer go on. He was carried out of the cage.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:074ff6685be7425a8fe9797f4261a62a"><strong>[RELATED:&nbsp;<a href="http://narrative.ly/obscure-sports/speed-demons/">The Secret World of Illegal Street Racing in NYC</a>]&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:0c75c6b6bf2c4fab888d36f176f85409">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p data-content_id="text:44e64c81d44444cd8cb203561a98de4d">A few weeks after winning his rematch against Nelson, I asked Cavalli how he felt about his victory. Nelson is a tough kid, says Cavalli. &ldquo;He would just keep getting up every time I knocked him down. He&rsquo;s very resilient.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-content_id="text:08962670bce049b1ac7c15564437c62c">In fact, Nelson was bleeding from his nose, but kept getting up until it was beyond clear that he was done.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:561d8d96357f4a15b0d78e8addf056a7">&ldquo;He was beat the hell up. People were like, &lsquo;Look at his neck,' and I was like, &lsquo;Oh shit&rsquo;,&rdquo; says Cavalli.</p>
<p data-content_id="text:806dd8f847414d8f96dc192a2c1769e9">&ldquo;When you fight someone like me,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t get tired.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="TextBlock paragraph Block align-center" style="text-align: center;" data-content_id="text:dfdb79bd68544ce3b27e2da8414cd22f">* &nbsp; * &nbsp; *</p>
<p class="TextBlock paragraph Block align-left" data-content_id="text:60dc196e4f0546f0af3e065d93f832f3"><em><a href="http://thebridgenews.info/author/da2515/" target="_blank"><strong>Dina Abdel-Haq</strong></a><strong></strong>&nbsp;is a recent graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her interests lie in international affairs and conflicts reporting.</em></p>
<p class="TextBlock paragraph Block align-left" data-content_id="text:4b92316cd0d1407885cec206eb20df3c"><em>Dedication: For Ana Paula Justino, the mother of an MMA fighter and a champion during her life and in her fight against cancer. RIP</em></p>
<p class="TextBlock paragraph Block align-left" data-content_id="text:01434661194644ebbff339032b93d57c"><a href="http://www.jessicabal.com/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Jessica Bal</em></strong></a><strong><em></em></strong><em></em><em>&nbsp;hails from a two-stoplight town in Massachusetts and now resides in a city with too many lights to count, where she produces media for an arts education organization and looks for any excuse to write, photograph, and film stories that she&rsquo;s curious about.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-secret-world-of-underground-mma-fight-clubs-2013-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/leandro-feijao-souza-dies-in-a-sauna-while-attempting-to-make-weight-2013-9MMA Fighter Dies In Sauna While Attempting To Lose Weight For A Fighthttp://www.businessinsider.com/leandro-feijao-souza-dies-in-a-sauna-while-attempting-to-make-weight-2013-9
Fri, 27 Sep 2013 16:28:00 -0400George Sitaras
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5245b82aecad041d3e8f040d-480-/souza3.jpg" border="0" alt="Leandro 'Feijao' Souza" width="480" />A Brazilian MMA fighter died on Thursday while trying to make weight for his upcoming fight in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The 26-year old </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">L<a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/9/27/4776750/shooto-brazil-43-canceled-after-leandro-feijao-souzas-death">eandro "Feijao" Souza</a></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/9/27/4776750/shooto-brazil-43-canceled-after-leandro-feijao-souzas-death">&nbsp;passed out moments before the official weigh-ins for the Shooto 43 fight card</a>,</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> according to MMAfighting.com<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">MMA fighters are often known for cutting weight by shedding water right before fights through dehydration tactics.<br /></span></p>
<p>After the fight they refuel themselves back to their normal weight, which can be 10, 20, or even 30 pounds above the fight weight limit.</p>
<p>Souza fought at the flyweight division, which is the smallest weight division in MMA. The required weight limit is 125 pounds. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of his death yet but his trainer <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/9/26/4775208/mma-fighter-dies-moments-before-shootos-weigh-ins-in-brazil">Andre Santos told mmafighting.com</a> that his death is linked to the weight cut:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"We don&rsquo;t have much information yet but we do know that is related to his weight cut...</span><span>His sister called me saying that he had passed out so I went to the hospital, but he was already dead when I got there".</span></p>
<p><span><span>According to Santos, Souza was attempting to take the fight on short notice and needed to lose <em>33 pounds in one week.</em>&nbsp;Not only that, he still had 11 pounds to lose in the last 24 hours right before the weigh-ins. Souza was two pounds short of the weight limit when they found him dead inside a sauna.&nbsp;</span></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/leandro-feijao-souza-dies-in-a-sauna-while-attempting-to-make-weight-2013-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-jones-alexander-gustafsson-photo-in-hospital-2013-9Two UFC Fighters Took A Great Photo In The Hospital After Their Brutal Title Fighthttp://www.businessinsider.com/jon-jones-alexander-gustafsson-photo-in-hospital-2013-9
Mon, 23 Sep 2013 09:08:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>Jon Jones defended his UFC light heavyweight title in an epic five-round fight against Alexander Gustafsson on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Jones suffered a nasty cut early in the fight and had to beg the referee to let the fight continue before the final round, and Gustafsson had never fought five rounds in his life.</p>
<p>"Not that I can talk to this, but I believe that this was one of those fights where both guys felt like they were going to die," UFC president <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/ufc/story/jones-retains-title-in-brutal-fight-092113">Dana White said after the fight</a>.</p>
<p><span>Jones was taken to the hospital immediately after the fight, and Gustafsson joined him shortly after. Obviously the fight bred respect between the two guys, because they posed for this fantastic photo from the hospital.</span></p>
<p>Gustafsson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=534263456653465&amp;set=a.310758149003998.73741.292890170790796&amp;type=1&amp;theater">posted it to Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/09/jon-jones-alexander-gustafsson-hospital-photo-ufc-165/">Nate Scott of USA Today</a> spotted it:</p>
<p><span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52403c156bb3f7f4377717c7-800-800/jon-jones-alexander-gustafsson-ufc-hospital.jpg" border="0" alt="jon jones alexander gustafsson ufc hospital" /><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-jones-alexander-gustafsson-photo-in-hospital-2013-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/biogenesis-whistleblower-scandal-nba-ncaa-players-2013-7The Whistleblower Who Broke MLB's Latest Steroids Scandal Says NBA And NCAA Players Are Involved Toohttp://www.businessinsider.com/biogenesis-whistleblower-scandal-nba-ncaa-players-2013-7
Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:21:00 -0400Philip Johnson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51f193b46bb3f7a46f000023-480-/biogenesis-steroids-scandal-alex-rodriguez-anthony-bosch.jpg" border="0" alt="Biogenesis Steroids Scandal Alex Rodriguez Anthony Bosch" width="480" /></p><p>Biogenesis whistleblower <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9508288/biogenesis-whistleblower-broke-open-scandal-says-ncaa-mma-nba-other-athletes-used-clinic-mlb-investigation">Porter Fischer told ESPN's Outside the Lines</a> that the scandal that rocked baseball also involves players from the NBA, NCAA, professional boxing, tennis and mixed martial arts.</p>
<p>Fischer did not name names, but says there are at least a dozen more athletes from several sports who were associated with Biogenesis &mdash; the Miami-based clinic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alex-rodriguez-linked-to-steroids-clinic-2013-1">that is believed to have distributed PEDs.</a></p>
<p>Fischer began a relationship with Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch as a client, <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9508288/biogenesis-whistleblower-broke-open-scandal-says-ncaa-mma-nba-other-athletes-used-clinic-mlb-investigation">according to OTL</a>, but struck a business relationship with Bosch when he offered to help create a marketing campaign for the clinic.</p>
<p>Fischer quickly realized that Bosch had plenty of customers in the sports world. From OTL:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"In just the four years that I know, it's got to be well over a hundred, easy. It's almost scary to think about how many people have gone through [Bosch's treatments] and how long he's gotten away with this."</span></p>
<p>Fischer has been the spearhead behind Major League Baseball's investigation that led to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mlb-suspends-ryan-braun-2013-7">suspension of Ryan Braun</a>. The scandal exploded when Fischer turned over boxes of documents to <a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2013-01-31/news/a-rod-and-doping-a-miami-clinic-supplies-drugs-to-sports-biggest-names/">The Miami Times</a>, which broke the story. According to him, he has documents from as late as 2009 that record Bosch's business activities, which he says include ties to not just athletes but policemen, attorneys and judges.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Soon after the Times story ran in January, MLB sent its own investigators to talk to Fischer. Outside The Lines reporters say they found a business card from an MLB investigator that read "<span>Please call -- We know time = $. Call ASAP."</span></p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9508288/biogenesis-whistleblower-broke-open-scandal-says-ncaa-mma-nba-other-athletes-used-clinic-mlb-investigation">According to Outside The Lines,</a> MLB offered Fischer $125,000 to cooperate with their probe. Fearing retribution if he cooperated, Fischer turned the offer down.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fischer says his life has been hell since the story broke.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"On March 24, he said, while transporting the documents, his car was broken into and four of the seven boxes he had were stolen. The Boca Raton Police Department report of the incident states a handgun and a laptop were also stolen. One night, Fischer said, he was chased by three cars until a friend and police intervened. He said someone tried to poison one of his dogs and that several times he found feces on his car."</span></p>
<p>We'll see if there's any merit to his claims in the coming weeks.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-athletes-looked-like-before-and-after-they-used-steroids-2013-6" >What Athletes Looked Like Before And After Steroids</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/biogenesis-whistleblower-scandal-nba-ncaa-players-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-gruesome-beatings-in-mma-history-2013-7Photos Of UFC Fighters Before And After Fights Show How Gruesome MMA Can Behttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-gruesome-beatings-in-mma-history-2013-7
Sat, 20 Jul 2013 17:11:00 -0400Philip Johnson
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51e9dd28eab8ead84400000e-480-/ufc-fighter-2012-after-1.jpg" border="0" alt="ufc fighter 2012 after" width="480" />No sport renders its competitors so naked in the line of danger as mixed martial arts. With nothing but six ounce gloves, fighters compete against opponents looking to injure them as viciously as possible.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>While the honor of the sport requires competitors to never use their skills to abuse an opponent more than necessary, sometimes things get nasty.</p>
<p>But a fighter's desire to overcome physical pain is one of the most compelling characteristics in sports.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This slideshow shows a before picture of every fighter to contrast how they looked before stepping into the octagon.</p>
<p>We warn viewers that the following images are graphic.&nbsp;</p><h3>Junior Dos Santos</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51d1c19ceab8ea7c26000017-400-300/junior-dos-santos.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Junior Dos Santos after fighting Cain Velasquez</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51d1c27c6bb3f78a1d00000f-400-300/junior-dos-santos-after-fighting-cain-velasquez.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Dos Santos lost his UFC Heavyweight championship belt to Velasquez on a unanimous decision following their 25-minute brawl at UFC 155.&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Chris Lytle</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51d1d243ecad044d2d000026-400-300/chris-lytle.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-gruesome-beatings-in-mma-history-2013-7#chris-lytle-after-fighting-josh-koscheck-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-wants-a-rematch-in-2013-2013-7Anderson Silva Wants A Rematch For The UFC Middleweight Title This Yearhttp://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-wants-a-rematch-in-2013-2013-7
Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:43:00 -0400Philip Johnson
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51dd7f6a69bedd7053000002-800-/anderson-silva-rematch-ufc-weidman.jpg" border="0" alt="Anderson Silva Rematch UFC Weidman" width="800" /></p><p>Fallen former UFC champion Anderson Silva has changed his tune, saying he wants a rematch for the middleweight title after all.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/7/10/4510344/sources-anderson-silva-changes-tune-wants-chris-weidman-rematch-this">According to SB Nation</a>, sources close to Silva say he wants the rematch by the end of the year. In the post fight interview immediately following his TKO loss to Chris Weidman, Silva said he would never fight for the title again. It was a confusing, messy interview from the greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever. He seemed shocked and embarrassed.</p>
<p>Apparently that all has worn off. The calls for a rematch began as soon as referee Herb Dean dived between a fallen Silva and a bloodthirsty Weidman. After all, Silva's contract allows for instant rematches of his choosing.</p>
<p>UFC president <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-ufc-weidman-silva-20130708,0,6606609.story">Dana White is reportedly considering</a> scheduling the rematch for December 28. However, doing so would require White to move the previously scheduled headlining fight between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate to February 1. It is also possible White makes the Weidman-Silva rematch for February 1.</p>
<p>Silva's crew say they have never seen him so focused on a fight, which is exciting news for UFC fans. Silva had won 17 straight fights before <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-knocked-out-ufc-162-2013-7">falling to Weidman</a>. The streak of dominance seemed to bore Silva in recent fights as his matches became equal parts showmanship and force. For years Silva walked his high wire taunting act without a slip.</p>
<p>Weidman also confirmed the rematch on The Dan Patrick Show today.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-wants-a-rematch-in-2013-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-knocked-out-ufc-162-2013-7UFC Fighter Anderson Silva Got Knocked Out Cold While Trying To Taunt His Opponenthttp://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-knocked-out-ufc-162-2013-7
Sun, 07 Jul 2013 09:45:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51d96f326bb3f7336c00004f-800-/anderson-silva-ko-ufc-162-3.jpg" border="0" alt="anderson silva ko ufc 162" width="800" /></p><p>Anderson Silva has long been considered the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world. But last night his cockiness came back to bite him when Chris Weidman knocked him out at UFC 162.</p>
<p>Silva was in the middle of taunting Weidman &mdash; dancing with his hands at his sides, specifically &mdash; when Weidman caught him with a left hook and KO'd him.</p>
<p>It's Silva's first loss since 2006.</p>
<p>He typically does a lot of this sort of stuff in his matches.</p>
<p><span>Here's the video (GIF below):</span></p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V5f-UnBd3Es"></iframe></p>
<p>Boom (<a href="http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2013/07/07/chris-weidman-knocked-out-anderson-silva-at-ufc-162-gif/">via Big Lead Sports</a>):</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/51d96ff7ecad043f5b00003b/anderson-silva-knocked-out.gif" border="0" alt="anderson silva knocked out" width="600" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/anderson-silva-knocked-out-ufc-162-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/miesha-tate-talks-trash-on-ronda-rousey-2013-2Ronda Rousey's Potential Next Opponent Talks Trash: 'I'm Going To Rip Her Face Off'http://www.businessinsider.com/miesha-tate-talks-trash-on-ronda-rousey-2013-2
Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:23:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/512d0aae6bb3f7467c00000b-400-/miesha-tate-ufc-fighter.jpg" border="0" alt="miesha tate ufc fighter" width="400" /></p><p>Ronda Rousey won the first women's fight in UFC history on Saturday night.</p>
<p>It was a close call &mdash; her opponent Liz Carmouche was in a dominant position before Rousey turned it around and nearly broke her arm with an armbar &mdash; that <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/wmma-news-roundup-miesha-tate-and-cat-zingano-are-not-impressed-by-ronda-rouseys-performance-ufc-adds-four-more-to-womens-bantamweight-division/">left her two potential future opponents unimpressed</a>.</p>
<p>In a post-fight interview Miesha Tate (who Rousey already beat once), said, "I got her on her back in the first fight, and a guarantee if I get her in the second one I'm gonna rip her face off."</p>
<p>Tate still has to win one more fight (against the other fighter in this video, Cat Zingano) before she has the chance to face Rousey.</p>
<p>Here's the full video <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/wmma-news-roundup-miesha-tate-and-cat-zingano-are-not-impressed-by-ronda-rouseys-performance-ufc-adds-four-more-to-womens-bantamweight-division/">from Cage Potato</a>:</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JLAotIP5Hi0"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/miesha-tate-talks-trash-on-ronda-rousey-2013-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ufc-who-is-ronda-rousey-2013-2Meet Ronda Rousey, The Beautiful MMA Fighter Who Is Headlining The First Women's UFC Fight Everhttp://www.businessinsider.com/ufc-who-is-ronda-rousey-2013-2
Sat, 23 Feb 2013 09:01:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8ed06bb3f7261f000017-350-/ronda-rousey-body-issue-espn.jpg" border="0" alt="ronda rousey body issue espn" width="350" /></p><p>Ronda Rousey is the best female MMA fighter in the world.</p>
<p>She's also a model, a trash-talker, and an Olympic medalist.</p>
<p>She has everything it takes to be a mainstream sports star, and tonight she'll headline the first ever fight of UFC's women's division.</p>
<p>She's outspoken and once made headlines for saying she has&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ronda-rousey-sex-before-fights-2012-11">"as much sex as possible"</a> before a fight.</p>
<p>Here's everything you need to know about her before she becomes a star.</p><h3>She made it to her first Olympics in Athens, but didn't medal. In 2008, she went to Beijing and won a bronze in judo</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8f0e69bedd5a0400000b-400-300/she-made-it-to-her-first-olympics-in-athens-but-didnt-medal-in-2008-she-went-to-beijing-and-won-a-bronze-in-judo.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>But afterward, she had no job to fall back on: "There’s nothing put in place for Olympians after they're done. They give you a couple grand, a handshake and they kick your ass out the door."</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e49ecad042071000013-400-300/but-afterward-she-had-no-job-to-fall-back-on-theres-nothing-put-in-place-for-olympians-after-theyre-done-they-give-you-a-couple-grand-a-handshake-and-they-kick-your-ass-out-the-door.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://clutch.mtv.com/2012/03/01/strikeforce-ronda-rousey-interview/">MTV</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>She took a graveyard shift at a 24 Hour Fitness in California while trying to figure out what she wanted to do</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e5869beddd701000008-400-300/she-took-a-graveyard-shift-at-a-24-hour-fitness-in-california-while-trying-to-figure-out-what-she-wanted-to-do.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=news.detail&amp;gid=388678">MixedMartialArts.com</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ufc-who-is-ronda-rousey-2013-2#in-2010-she-returned-to-fighting-at-an-mma-gym-in-los-angeles-she-said-i-need-to-win-and-i-need-to-do-this-quick-because-im-tired-of-living-with-the-cockroaches-and-eating-frozen-vegetables-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/friday-night-fights-brings-muay-thai-to-nyc-2013-1 This Underground Fight Night Is The Most Intense Competition In New Yorkhttp://www.businessinsider.com/friday-night-fights-brings-muay-thai-to-nyc-2013-1
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:06:00 -0500Daniel Goodman
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>When you step into the large, dark basement hall where Friday Night Fights are held in New York City, you immediately feel the energy in the room.</p>
<p>Fighters and fans alike roam through the informal setting, but the big ring, the blasting music, and the ice cold beer remind you this is no amateur production.</p>
<p>Since 1997, <a href="http://fridaynightfights.com/content/" target="_blank">Friday Night Fights</a>&nbsp;(FNF) has been putting on Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts events throughout the country, but in 2011 it decided to focus exclusively on Muay Thai kickboxing events.</p>
<p>Once a month in New York City, they organize their namesake production, Friday Night Fights, one of the more incredible spectacles on offer in the city.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Muay Thai is a form of martial arts from Thailand, known as "the art of eight limbs" (or weapons) because fighters can utilize punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes, providing eight different points of contact.</p>
<p>Unlike Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which is illegal in New York State, Muay Thai competitors cannot grapple on the ground but must stay upright and fighting throughout the match.</p>
<p>Mixed Martial Arts has been steadily growing as a popular form of entertainment, particularly with the growth of brands like the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ufc.com/" target="_blank">Ultimate Fighting Championship</a> (UFC). Justin Blair, president of FNF, told Business Insider&nbsp;that as a result of MMA's rise in popularity, Muay Thai, which can be more palatable to some fans, has great potential to gain audience.</p>
<p>Friday Night Fights events feature amateurs and pros, with about 10-15 matches per event&nbsp; &ndash; two or more being professional bouts. More often than not, even the pros are not full-time Muay Thai boxers and have side jobs ranging from martial arts instructors to engineers. There are even some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jefferies-sean-george-muay-thai-2012-7" target="_blank">prominent bankers among the fighters</a>.</p>
<p>We attended the league's opening event for the 2013 season in January to see what the fights and the fighters are all about.<br /><br /></p>
<p><em>Produced by Business Insider Video</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-inside-gleasons-gym-2012-3" >The Boxing Gym That Trained Mike Tyson And Muhammad Ali Is Where Wall Street Now Goes To Blow Off Steam</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/friday-night-fights-brings-muay-thai-to-nyc-2013-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-ronda-rousey-2012-11Meet Ronda Rousey, The Trash-Talking Olympian Who Is About To Become The First Female UFC Fighter Everhttp://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-ronda-rousey-2012-11
Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:17:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8ed06bb3f7261f000017-350-/ronda-rousey-body-issue-espn.jpg" border="0" alt="ronda rousey body issue espn" width="350" /></p><p>Ronda Rousey is the best female MMA fighter in the world.</p>
<p>She's also a model, a trash-talker, and an Olympic medalist.</p>
<p>She has everything it takes to be a mainstream sports star, and sometime in 2013 she'll headline the first ever fight of UFC's women's division.</p>
<p>This week she made headlines by saying she has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ronda-rousey-sex-before-fights-2012-11">"as much sex as possible"</a> before a fight in an interview that tells you everything you need to know about why the UFC thinks she'll be a star.</p>
<p>And she has an incredible life story that's worthy of the fame she has already acquired.</p><h3>Ronda had a tumultuous childhood. She had to overcome brain damage, and when she was 8 years old, her father died</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e4aecad04227100000f-400-300/ronda-had-a-tumultuous-childhood-she-had-to-overcome-brain-damage-and-when-she-was-8-years-old-her-father-died.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/loretta_hunt/03/01/ronda-rousey/index.html">SI</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Her mother Ann got her involved in Judo at a young age. Ann was the first American to be a World Champion in judo</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e4beab8ea1546000000-400-300/her-mother-ann-got-her-involved-in-judo-at-a-young-age-ann-was-the-first-american-to-be-a-world-champion-in-judo.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/loretta_hunt/03/01/ronda-rousey/index.html">SI</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Growing up, Ronda had to fight boys, but she says she was born to be a fighter: "I wasn't meant for a desk job and I hated school."</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ffc8e4769beddb804000002-400-300/growing-up-ronda-had-to-fight-boys-but-she-says-she-was-born-to-be-a-fighter-i-wasnt-meant-for-a-desk-job-and-i-hated-school.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://clutch.mtv.com/2012/03/01/strikeforce-ronda-rousey-interview/">MTV</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-ronda-rousey-2012-11#she-made-it-to-her-first-olympics-in-athens-but-didnt-medal-in-2008-she-went-to-beijing-and-won-a-bronze-in-judo-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/ronda-rousey-sex-before-fights-2012-11UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey Says There's A Scientific Reason Why She Has As Much Sex As Possible Before A Fighthttp://www.businessinsider.com/ronda-rousey-sex-before-fights-2012-11
Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:16:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4fff33cc69beddea2400000e-590-443/ronda-rousey-body-issue.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="ronda rousey body issue" width="400" /></p><p>Ronda Rousey, the first female fighter in UFC history, had some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Eg0cD4B8A&amp;feature=player_embedded">interesting things to say about sex</a> on Jim Rome's talk show this week.</p>
<p>Rome asked her about male fighters who abstain from sex before a big fight, and Rousey said she actually tries to have a ton of sex because it boosts her testosterone. Her full quote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"For girls it raises your testosterone so I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight, actually. Not with like everybody. I don't put out <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/craigslist">Craigslist</a> ads or anything. But if I got a steady I'm going to be like, 'Yo, fight time's coming up."</p>
<p>She also questioned the myth that abstinence helps male fighters:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"For the guys, I think that's a little bit excessive. A lot of the studies I've read about it, it's not really substantiated the claim that if you abstain from having sex for that long it actually raises your testosterone. You actually might start producing less."</p>
<p>So is she right?</p>
<p>It seems like it.</p>
<p>A 2006 article in <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/national-geographic">National Geographic</a> says <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0222_060222_sex.html">the theory that sex suppresses testosterone in men is a myth</a>, at least physiologically. In fact, sex might actually boost testosterone, and the only possible negative effects are psychological, like making an athlete lose focus.</p>
<p>As for the bit about sex boosting testosterone in women, <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/247593-how-to-naturally-increase-testosterone-in-females/">this article on Livestrong.com</a> says "sexual stimulation increases the production of endorphins that raise testosterone levels naturally."</p>
<p>So it appears Rousey knows her stuff.</p>
<p>Here's video of the Rome interview. And <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mma-fighter-ronda-rousey-life-story-2012-7">click here to check out how Ronda became a big MMA star &gt;</a></p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p9Eg0cD4B8A"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ronda-rousey-sex-before-fights-2012-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mma-game-theory-2012-8How One Coach Is Using Game Theory To Revolutionize MMAhttp://www.businessinsider.com/mma-game-theory-2012-8
Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:47:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4f130d6decad049264000017/ufc-142-knockout-with-wheel-kick.jpg" border="0" alt="ufc 142 knockout with wheel kick" /></p><p>Trainer Greg Jackson is <a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-07/cage-match">bringing game theory to MMA</a> in an attempt to organize the madness of UFC, according to a feature by <span class="author">Matthew Shaer</span> in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/popular-science" class="hidden_link">Popular Science</a>.</p>
<p>Jackson trains a bunch of MMA fighters, most notably Jon Jones, the current UFC light-heavyweight champion.</p>
<p><strong>Here's what Jackson is doing that's so exciting:</strong></p>
<p>He graphs every match and sparring session on a game tree &mdash; plotting all possible moves a fighter can make from a given position.</p>
<p>Afterwards, Jackson goes back and analyzes his game trees, looking for which sequence of moves worked and which didn't.</p>
<p>Jackson believes that every decision a fighter makes should have the goal of putting him in a more advantageous position (not necessarily knocking out his opponent, or taking him down). So he studies game trees from hundreds of fights and then teaches his fighters to execute the most rational move in every situation.</p>
<p>Here's <a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-07/cage-match">a great example of how it works from the PopSci article</a>. In the excerpt below, Jackson is graphing a sparring session between Jones and another fighter (late name: Jackson). It starts with the fighters two feet apart:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[Jones] could execute a leg kick, or a punch, or he could shoot for a takedown (attempt to grab Jordan by the backs of his legs and drive him into the ground). But the initial node was not &ldquo;optimal,&rdquo; he said, because it allowed Jordan to swing freely with both fists. Although it seemed counterintuitive, the fast track to what Jackson calls the &ldquo;damage&rdquo; node (in this case, Jones&rsquo;s advantageous position following his hard knee) was to move in close, where Jordan would not be able to fully wind up. Another circle, representing Jones&rsquo;s inside position, and a series of edges, representing his potential decisions from there, appeared on the notepad.</p>
<p>Using game theory, Jackson is able to find inefficiencies in every micro-level decision in the sport. His fighters will execute a counterintuitive move (like the example above), where more traditional fighters would not.</p>
<p>Boxing has long been referred to as the sweet science. And now science (well, math) is coming to America's new favorite bloodsport.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-07/cage-match">Read the entire PopSci article here &gt;</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mma-game-theory-2012-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/kyla-harrison-judo-2012-8Kyla Harrison Wins USA's First Judo Gold Medal After Overcoming Years Of Sexual Abusehttp://www.businessinsider.com/kyla-harrison-judo-2012-8
Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:13:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>American judoka Kyla Harrison just became the first ever American gold medalist in judo.</p>
<p>She beat the UK's Gemma Gibbons in convincing fashion in the women's 172-pound gold-medal match.</p>
<p>Harrison has gotten a lot of attention for <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/26/sports/la-sp-oly-judo-kayla-harrison-20120427">overcoming three years of sexual abuse</a> from her childhood coach, Daniel Doyle.</p>
<p>Doyle was sentenced to 10 years in prison after Harrison testified against him in 2007. In the years since, Harrison has left her Ohio hometown and <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/26/sports/la-sp-oly-judo-kayla-harrison-20120427">restored her commitment to judo</a> with therapy and the help of the people at Pedro's Judo Center in Boston, according to the LA Times.</p>
<p>Now, the 22-year-old is the first American gold medalist.</p>
<p>Right after she won gold, she prayed:</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/501a9c72ecad04332800000e-620-/kyle-harrison-wins-gold-in-olympic-judo.jpg" border="0" alt="kyle harrison wins gold in olympic judo" width="620" /></p>
<p>Then she thanked her family and friends:</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/501a9c916bb3f78658000005/kyle-harrison-wins-gold-in-olympic-judo.jpg" border="0" alt="kyle harrison wins gold in olympic judo" width="620" /></p>
<p>She shared a moment with her current coach:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/501a9c9f6bb3f76f58000011/kyle-harrison-wins-gold-in-olympic-judo.jpg" border="0" alt="kyle harrison wins gold in olympic judo" width="620" /></p>
<p>Finally she took a victory lap with the Olympic flag:</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/501a9cadecad043b28000003/kyle-harrison-wins-gold-in-olympic-judo.jpg" border="0" alt="kyle harrison wins gold in olympic judo" width="620" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kyla-harrison-judo-2012-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>